Macbeth

American  

[muhk-beth, mak-] / məkˈbɛθ, mæk- /

noun

1. died 1057, king of Scotland 1040–57.

2. (italics) a tragedy (1606?) by Shakespeare.

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Macbeth British  

/ mæk-, məkˈbɛθ /

noun

1. died 1057, king of Scotland (1040–57): succeeded Duncan, whom he killed in battle; defeated and killed by Duncan's son Malcolm III

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Macbeth Cultural  

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare, in which the Scottish nobleman Macbeth, misled by the prophecy of three witches and goaded on by his wife, murders the king and usurps the throne. Well-known lines from the play include “Lay on, Macduff” and “Out, damned spot!”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Macbeth

When the entire forest appeared to be storming his stronghold, Macbeth realized his folly too late.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Ibsen’s tragic anti-heroine shares character DNA with Medea and Lady Macbeth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

The most prominent American actor of the time, Edwin Forrest, and the British star William Charles Macready, were both playing Macbeth in New York at roughly the same time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

Dr Fergus Macbeth, chair of NICE's fertility guideline committee, said clinics should focus on proven treatments rather than offering unproven add-ons that may do more harm than good.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

But Lady Macbeth, who seemed so strong at the beginning of the play, had a rather rapid mental deterioration—remember she was walking and talking in her sleep and washing her hands uncontrollably?

From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper